Wire stretcher and cutter.



PATENTED 1533.24) 1903.V

` H.. E. HERRIGK. WIRE STRETGHBR AND GUTTER.

y APPLICATION rlLBD APR. 18.. 1902.

No nonni..

UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

HARRISON E. HERRICK, OF MERRIMAC, NEV HAMPSHIRE.

l"WIRE STRETCHER AND CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming paru of Leners Patent No. 721,442, dated February24, 190s.

Application filed April 18, 1902.

g State of New Hampshire, have invented new and useful Improvements in a`Combined Wire Stretcher and Cutter, ofY which the fol.-

lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a combined wire stretcher and cutter; and theobject of the same is to provide asimple and effective form of toolwhich can be conveniently employed in stretching wire in theconstruction of fences or other purposes and also for severing the wire,as may-be desired.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of theseveral parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the drawings, Figurel 1 is a perspective view of a tool or implementembodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevationbroken away in part to show the mode of applying and operating themovable elements. v

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts in the views.

The numeral 1 designates a shank which is reduced at its rear extremityto form a tang 2, tted in a suitablehandle 3. The shank 1 hasalongitudinally-extending slot 4forrned therein and vertically disposedto open out through the upper and lower edges of said shank. At thefront terminal of the slot 4 the shank is formed with an upstandingshoulder 5, extending completely across the upper edge of said shank andformed with a rear concave face, and from the said shoulder the saidshank continues into a conca-voconvex bracing-arm V6, adapted to bebrought in contact with a postor other device during thewire-stretchingoperation, the concave j face of the said bracing-armbeing formed with longitudinally extending corrugations or grooves 7 toprovide reduced biting-surfaces to sink into a post or other device andprevent vertical slipping movement of the said arm during thewire-stretching operation. On one side of the shank 1, in rear of theshoulder 5, a cutter 8 is secured and has its upper extremity 9projecting above the upper edge of the shank and given an inward SerialNo. 103,602. (No model.)

ate obstruction of the ready insertion `or placement'of the wire againstthe said shoulder.

Within the forward part of the slot 4 a jaw 11 is pivotally mounted,thefulcrum or pivot device for the said jaw being located nearer itslower edge. The front end of the jaw has a forwardly-projecting lip 12at its upper p0rtion, which is adapted to overlap the shoul- The frontder 5, and immediately under said lip is a 1 convex bearing-surface 13,conformingin degree of curvature to the concave face of the shoulder 5,and between the bearing-surface 13 and the concave face of the shoulder5 the wire is adapted to be clamped during the stretching operation, thesaid curvatures preventing thewire from slipping between the contiguoussurfacesengaging therewith. The forward portion of the jaw 11 has itsupper portion rising above. the upper edge of the shank 1 and of greatertransverse extent than the lower portion of said jaw, andin the rearpart of the jaw which stands above the shank is a wire-receiving recessor slot 14, with front and rear vertical 'straight walls, the cuttingedge 10 of the cutter8 bearing closely against one side of the portionof the jaw which stands above the upper edge of the shank adjacent tothe recess orslot 14. The rear extremity of the jaw 11 is formed withupper and lower contact projections 15 and 16, defined by theformationvof aslot 17, the upper projection having a curved bearing edge18 and the lower projection a reduced rounded terminal 19. In rear ofthejaw the head 20 of an operating-lever 21 is pivotally mounted in theslot 4:, the head 20 being of greater width than the lever and reducedin thickness to work in the said slot. has an extended convex edge 22 toengage the rounded terminal 19 of the projection 16. The

head 20 also has a shorter convex edge portion 23and a concave recess.211 to coperate with the curved surface 18 of the'projection 15. Theparticular-shaped edge portions of 'the head 20 are always in contactwith theo projections 15 and 16, and by moving the le- `This head 2O ICOver downwardly the pressure on the projection 15 is relieved by bringingthe recess 24 thereunder and applied to the projection 16 to throw thelip 12 upwardly and rearwardly from the shoulder 5, as clearly shown byFig. 1. By drawing the lever 2l upwardly toward and against the shank 1and handle 3 the shorter convex edge portion 23 of the head 2O isbrought against the curved edge 13 of the projection 15, thereby liftingthe rear extremity of the jaw 11 and throwing the `lip 12 downwardly onthe shoulder 5.

In the operation of the device the jaw 11 is opened, as shown by Fig. 1,and the wire to be stretched is drawn in between the bearingsurface 13and the shoulder 5. The lever 21 is then-drawn upwardly to close the jawagainst and clamp the wire, and the bracinglever is then applied to apost or other device toward which it is desired to stretch the wire, theentire device then becoming a lever, as will be readily understood.After the wire has been suiiciently stretched it will be secured by anyof the well-known methods, and if it is desired to sever the same it isinserted in the recess or slot 14 after the jaw has been iii-st opened.The lever 21 is then again drawn upwardly toward the shank and handie,and in View of the upwardly-moving action of the rear extremity of thejaw the wire to be severed is gradually raised and drawn toward thecutting edge l0 of the cutter 8 to thereby produce a shearing cut, whichis facilitated by the inwardly-inclined arrangement of the upperextremity 9 of the said cutter.

The improved tool or implement is adapted for use in connection withbarbed or plain wire and also will be found exceptionally convenient forthe purpose for which it has been devised.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1.In a tool of the class set forth, the combination of a shank having ahandle at one extremity and a bracing-arm at the other extremity, thesaid shank having a slot therein, a jaw pivotally mounted in the saidslot and having a forwardly-projecting clamping element to cooperatewith a portion of the shank, and a lever for opening and closing thejaw.

2. In a tool of the class set forth, a shank having a handle at one endand a bracingarm at the other end, a shoulder being formed at the upperportion of the rear terminal of the bracing-arm, a jaw movably mountedin the shank and having a forwardly-projecting lip to overlap theshoulder, and a bearingsurface to coact with the latter, and a lever foropening and closing the said jaw.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HARRISON E. l-IERRICK.

Witnesses:

JOHN R. SPRING, CYPRIAN J. BELANGAR.

